Why is Le Creuset SO Popular?

Le Creuset is a 100 year old brand known for their Dutch ovens that can cost upwards of $400. This cookware company was launched back into the spotlight recently by something that this company could have never predicted: a pandemic induced global obsession with sourdough bread.

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Script: Caroline Eaton Pickard
Editor: Reid Valaitis
Lead Editor: Kirsten Stanley
Project Manager: Lurana McClure Rodríguez
Host: Levi Hildebrand

[Katie]

My parents got a set as a wedding gift in 1956. They used them a frequently, and 65 years later my brother still uses them - they’re in perfect shape.

[catherinehall]

I dated a European guy in the early 70s. He was extremely cheap, but had this dutch oven because he said he would NEVER need to replace it. Yes, he calculated its cost over his expected life!

[whiskybrush]

My cousin scored 3 one summerr by going to garage sales in Quebec in 2011. Sent them back to Le Creuset to get refurbished, and they came back brand spanking new. The company absolutely stands behind their product..

[suzanneb]

America's Test Kitchen has done a few comparisons of cast iron and enameled dutch ovens like this one. They check for things like finish, weight, heat conduction as well as how easily they chip. They literally slammed and whacked them multiple times to see if they chipped. Le Creuset was their highly recommended pick for best quality quality, but also the most expensive. They chose the Cuisinart as their 'best buy' which was lower priced but still nicely made.

[lmshanyfelt]

I got a 7.5 quart Le Creuset at my local Goodwill for $7.99. It's very vintage with a smooth lid, and I have used it consistently for years. They do last and last.

[scofab]

I'm both a mechanic and a cook... and when it comes to the tools of those trades the same truth applies: Buy once, cry once. Le Creuset is made in a responsible way that honors the local workers and workmanship they are capable of. It lasts and lasts, looking good and performing well throughout its lifespan. Which, speaking of... in over thirty years of using Le Creuset I've never had a piece break. A few small battle scar chips maybe, but nothing fatal.
A worthy investment IMO.

[ivanfairweather]

My sister has my parents' Le Cruset cookware and their Volvo. The cookware is over 60 years old the Volvo is almost 40. Both are going strong.

[Elc]

The people who scoff at spending more than $40 for cookware don't understand the saying "penny smart, pound foolish". It's usually much more expensive to get the cheapest option in the long run than something that is higher quality but more expensive up front. It's often known as "the poor tax". It's actually extremely expensive to be poor, due to the nature of product quality in relation to price.

[jeannesutter]

I found a Le Creuset Dutch oven at a yard sale for $15 and I took my mother's after she passed. I love them both and use them frequently.

[idraote]

I'll admit that for non natives, """le creuset""" is a bit of a tongue twister but I can confirm that Levi has been successful in NOT pronouncing it right a single time in the whole video.
Congratulations!

[b.w.]

Small correction. Only Lodge's enameled cookware is made in China. The old fashioned non-enameled stuff is made in America. You can go to their factory in South Philedelphia, TN during the annual cornbread festival and actually watch a production line in action. Also, if you find yourself in the area I HIGHLY recommend visiting the Lodge Store that is attached to the factory. You can find so many cool Lodge products there.

[jrochest]

There are a few things that are actually worth their high price; original KitchenAid stand mixers, Aga cookers, really good furniture, Cowichan sweaters, that kind of thing. Le Creuset is one of them. I'm sure some people bought them because of pandemic baking but they've been wonderful and expensive for a very long time.

[jacobbwalters]

Nice to see a future proof video featuring a quality product without a catch! I own a couple of their items and love them

[enguerranddemarigny]

In France we have Staub too. It's Alasacian ( eastern region of France). It's owned by Zwilling a german corporation but the Staub dutch owen is still made in France and not in China, thank God !

[HumbleWooper]

We have two Le Creuset baking pans, a small 8" round dutch oven and a smallish rectangular baking pan. Both found by my parents at thrift stores, I think, and from the colors I suspect they were produced sometime in the 70s or 80s. They both still cook great though, I expect them to last the rest of my life and probably get gifted or re-donated then. If you take care of them these can absolutely be heirloom kitchen gear. And well worth the price even new, honestly. Fair pay and good working conditions deserve to be the default, not a surprising anomaly.

[rubidot]

My grandma's friend had a La Creuset. It flew across her kitchen in the 1989 San Francisco earthquake and split in two. They replaced it for her for free. She gifted the pot to my mother a few years ago. That friend has passed away, but her pot is still cookin'.

[geryon]

I had a cheap dutch oven and after 5 years it was already quite banged up, it also never heated that evenly. I managed to buy a Le Creuset for around 200€ and it just feels so much better quality and nicer to use. For the price I paid I have zero regrets on buying it since I expect to be using it for decades.

[BillLehecka]

My wife and I got one from our wedding registry, and it is literally the best pot I've ever owned. I've never made bread in mine, though. I've made mashed potatoes, osso buco, my mom's Sunday gravy... It's so versatile and heats so evenly, and the big selling point for me, it's ridiculously easy to clean. I hate cleaning cast iron anything. I can stain the crap out of it doing an all day simmer and I'm sure it'll be good as new after a bit of light scrubbing.

[midcatwmn]

I coveted the Le Creuset round wide Dutch oven for a decade, being unable to justify the expense and also having a small, cramped kitchen that lacked the space to store it and put it to much use. But then in 2020, we spent COVID renovating and modernizing our kitchen into a beautiful, workable space, and this year I finally had the money saved to buy my Dutch oven. I've had it about six months now and I love, love, LOVE it so much, and it's so satisfying knowing I'll have it the rest of my life and my nieces and nephew can fight over it when I'm gone.

[sjenkins]

Finally, a brand or product I have actually heard of on this channel :-) Le Creuset has been popular among food geeks for decades.